<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Young Hearts by Steel_Feather</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23539402">Young Hearts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steel_Feather/pseuds/Steel_Feather'>Steel_Feather</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crushes, First Kiss, Fluff, Multi, it's just self-indulgent and adorable okay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:14:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,751</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23539402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steel_Feather/pseuds/Steel_Feather</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A study date with Peter Parker turns soft. <br/>Featuring a gender-neutral reader!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Young Hearts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You knock timidly on the door, trying to restrain your nerves. You aren't sure why you’ve started feeling uneasy around Peter recently; the two of you have known each other for an eternity and a half, but somehow you feel like throwing up whenever he smiles at you now.</p>
<p>Maybe it was inevitable; everyone said friends often became more. But you think it has more to do with the new confidence you can see in Peter. He’s still awkward, and he still blushes easily, but there is something running under the surface, a hint of steel that baffles you.</p>
<p>When had Peter Parker started to grow up?</p>
<p>The door swings open to reveal his aunt May, her hair pulled back and stylish glasses perched on her nose. May used to intimidate you, because she seemed so smart and capable, but you quickly learned that she was sweet and really protective of the people around her, and now you adore her.</p>
<p>"Hi," she says, stepping aside for you to enter. "He's in his room, you can just head on in."</p>
<p>As you head down the hallway, you think you can hear Peter talking, but he must hear you coming, because his voice cuts off and you can hear scuffling inside the room. Your cheeks heat at the possibility that you interrupted a conversation, so you knock on his bedroom door, not wanting to intrude.</p>
<p>A second later, Peter opens it, looking just slightly flustered.</p>
<p>"Hey," he says breathlessly. "You're early."</p>
<p>"Oh, um, I'm sorry..."</p>
<p>"No!" he blurts out, looking horrified. "I didn't mean it like that, I just... wasn't expecting you yet, that's all." He rubs the back of his neck and you can see muscle definition in his arms that <em>definitely</em> wasn't there a year ago. You blush, eyes dropping to the floor. "Please," he tells you, sounding more sincere. "Come in."</p>
<p>You walk past him and sit on his bottom bunk, not quite able to meet his eyes yet, before you notice something missing.</p>
<p>"Ned's not here yet?"</p>
<p>His face turns red, and you wonder if he's angry until he speaks. "Um, Ned couldn't make it today, but we can still study, right?" You wonder for a second if maybe he's blushing, but dismiss the thought as ridiculous. Peter's never seen you the way you see him.</p>
<p>"Sure," you say, smiling softly up at him. "That's okay." You frantically try to calm your heart at the thought that the two of you are alone; Peter closed his door as you walked in, the way he always has, and you're painfully aware of the privacy you have.</p>
<p>He sits on the bed next to you and pulls out his backpack-- it's new, you've almost lost count of how many backpacks he's had this year-- and pulls out the chemistry book you're studying in class. You do the same, flipping to the portion you're struggling with, and start showing him what you don't understand.</p>
<p>It's an open secret that Peter is one of the best study partners at Midtown Tech, especially when it comes to chemistry. He usually doesn't even need to study, so he really should be charging people for tutoring, but he always patiently helps his friends with their homework.</p>
<p>As the two of you fall into comfortable territory, your nervousness abates somewhat. You're still painfully aware of how beautiful he is, and how adorable his voice is when he gets excited and it squeaks, but this is something the two of you have been doing for almost as long as you've known each other, and it feels warm and safe.</p>
<p>When May comes in with snacks for you two, you are shocked to realize you've been working for an hour and you're almost two thirds of the way through. The two of you jerk apart a little as she comes in, almost guiltily, and you could swear you see her hide a small smile. Part of May's ability to intimidate stems from the fact that she always seems to know more about what's going on than you want her to.</p>
<p>"Okay, kids," she says. "I brought some junk food. Nobody's starving here."</p>
<p>"Thanks, Aunt May," Peter says, and your heart lurches when you see how sweetly he looks at his aunt.</p>
<p>"Yeah, thank you," you add, after a pause that's only a bit too long to be polite. When she leaves, she doesn't quite latch the door.</p>
<p>You go back to studying, and the two of you relax by degrees. Eventually, instead of sitting on the edge of the bed, your backs are against the wall behind his bed.</p>
<p>Somehow, you end up next to each other, shoulders and arms touching. Without thinking, you prop your legs over Peter's, something you've done a thousand times before, then freeze as you realize what you've done.</p>
<p>Peter doesn't move for a second, just looking at your jean clad thighs slung across his lap, then seems to make a decision. He sets his arms on top of your legs with the book still in his hands, and continues explaining the latest thing you don't understand.</p>
<p>You struggle to breathe evenly at the feeling of his forearms resting on you, the warmth spreading through you to your heart and wreaking havoc on your stomach as butterflies dance there. After a few moments, you tentatively lay your head on his shoulder, still looking at the textbook, and he shifts so that you can be more comfortable. He doesn't say anything about it, just continues to teach you, and your eyes are almost drooping in a moment.</p>
<p>"...And then I told Ned, I can always make a living as an exotic dancer if the Stark Internship doesn't work out," he's saying as you tune back in.</p>
<p>Your cheeks flame as his words hit home, and you scramble back from him, eyes wide. He laughs at you, the laugh you only hear rarely, and it's joyful and free, but you're still embarrassed. You throw a pillow at him.</p>
<p>"Jerk!" But you can't suppress the hint of a laugh bubbling in your words.</p>
<p>He grins from ear to ear, then tosses a pillow back at you. It hits your face far harder than you were expecting, so you shriek a war cry and launch yourself at him. He catches your wrists in his hands and turns so that you hit the mattress, missing him completely.</p>
<p>You look up at his smirking face and remember the judo training you insisted on having since you were little. Using his mass against him, you roll and unbalance him, until you're hovering over him and laughing breathlessly. His eyes widen.</p>
<p>"When did you get so strong?" he asks, voice high and as adorable as you've ever heard it.</p>
<p>"It's not about strength, dork," you respond. "Don't you pay attention in Physics?"</p>
<p>You don't have enough time to register his change in expression before he flips you, catching you off guard with his strength, and starts tickling you.</p>
<p>"Peter!" you squeal. "No fair!"</p>
<p>"You attacked first," he insists gleefully, not letting up in the slightest.</p>
<p>Your giggles turn breathless, but you refuse to beg, secretly enjoying the mischievous look in his eyes. Eventually, he slows and stops, and you catch your breath at the look in his eyes.</p>
<p>He almost looks... <em>tender. </em>Like he used to when he would stare at Liz. God, you wanted to hate her so much, but you couldn't hate anyone Peter loved.</p>
<p>You realize the position the two of you are in. Peter's hovering over you, his hands still on your waist, his face close to yours, and your breath locks in your throat. He draws closer to you, eyelashes fluttering, and you can't breathe.</p>
<p>Is he really about to kiss you? You've never been kissed before. What would it feel like? <em>What if you're bad at it?</em></p>
<p>His eyes close as his fingers flex on your waist, and you can feel his breath on your lips. At the last moment, you panic, a squeak rising in your throat, and pull back.</p>
<p>Peter lets go of you immediately, standing by the bed so he isn't invading your space, and he looks horrified. "I'm sorry," he says, regret written all over his face. "I didn't mean to... I wasn't trying to..."</p>
<p>You fight past the sick feeling in your stomach that's telling you you just ruined everything, and lay a hand on his incredibly distracting forearm.</p>
<p>"Peter, it's okay," you reassure him. "I'm... I'm not upset." Then, trying to explain yourself better: "There's nothing to apologize for."</p>
<p>His shoulders are a little slumped and because you know him so well, you recognize it as a sign that his feelings are hurt. You want to cry.</p>
<p>But he just smiles at you, almost convincingly, and says, "Well, I guess it's getting pretty late, huh?"</p>
<p>You take the hint and gather your books together, lips trembling a little. He walks you to the front door and you don't see any sign of May.</p>
<p>At the door, you watch him search for words before simply saying, "I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" And he looks so hopeful that you let yourself believe he doesn't hate you.</p>
<p>You know that this will probably be your only chance to clear things up. You and Peter are awkward enough that if nothing happens right now, you'll both end up pretending today never happened.</p>
<p>So you screw up every piece of courage you own, and you ask, "Peter?" in a shaky voice.</p>
<p>When he looks down at you, you grab the collar of his button-down and drag him down to your level, pressing your lips gently to his. His lips are soft and he parts his mouth a little in surprise, and you can taste the hot chocolate on his breath from earlier.</p>
<p>It's not exactly how you expected kissing to feel, but it's nice. He feels warm and safe, and you feel one of his hands go to your waist after a second, the other threading into your hair.</p>
<p>Overwhelmed, you break away, forehead resting against his as his eyes blink open dazedly.</p>
<p>"Yes," you tell him, "you'll definitely see me tomorrow."</p>
<p>Before he can react, you turn and speed-walk down the hallway, one hand over your mouth, unable to contain a smile as you relive the sensation of Peter's lips on yours.</p>
<p>You don't see him pumping both fists in the air, a grin spreading from ear to ear as he blushes.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>